Peperomia plants are popular because of their beautifully, round-shaped leaves that only this species is known for.
Other names that Peperomia goes by include the Watermelon plant, Baby Rubber plant, and Pepper Face.
Does your lovely Peperomia bloom like other members of its Piperaceae family, though? In this guide, we tell you all you need to know about Peperomia flowers.
So, do Peperomia flower?
Do Peperomia Flower?
The short answer would be yes, Peperomia can produce flowers; however, that’s a rare occurrence and isn’t typical of this perennial species.
As a household plant, Peperomia doesn’t always bloom while indoors. That doesn’t mean there’s no chance of your Peperomia spouting flowers, though.
A Peperomia will flower when it’s well-fed and thriving in conditions that perfectly resemble its tropical habitat.
The flowers of any Peperomia variety take on the shape of long, droopy-looking spikes. They’re often mistaken by newbie Peperomia owners for insect eggs or growing fungi.
Nothing could be further from the truth! If you look closer, you’ll notice that there are clusters of flowers forming on the tips of each spike.
These spikes take on the shape of a rat tail and can grow to be five inches or more in length. Plus, they typically sprout in an axillary position and bloom amidst groups of leaves or on stems.
The color of these narrow spikes is yet another reason why people don’t initially take them for Peperomia flowers. The dark brown and light green hues don’t make for the most appealing flowers, after all.
That’s also why some Peperomia owners opt for trimming the plant’s spikes once they’ve fully sprouted. In case you decide to do the same, make sure that you handle such a task with great care.
Otherwise, keep the Peperomia flowers around! They might not resemble traditional flowers, since they’re odorless and come in earthy colors, but they still give your Peperomia some character.
When Do Peperomia Flower?
Fortunately, you don’t have to wait around for a specific flowering season to have your Peperomia sprout its arguably beautiful spikes.
Because Peperomia species can bloom all year round, you can expect to see those spikes at any given moment.
The important thing to remember is that a blooming Peperomia is one that’s well-taken care of, as Peperomia flowers are a rare sight in the first place. Consider yourself lucky, then!
Fun fact: we often refer to Peperomia spikes as inflorescence. This term is used to describe the arrangement of flower clusters nearby the plant’s leaves and main stem.
From the entire Piperaceae family, to which the Peperomia plant belongs, the latter’s flowers are the least structurally complicated.
How Do You Get Peperomia to Flower?
As we’ve established, if you provide your Peperomia with the necessary living conditions for it to thrive, then you’re giving the plant a chance to bloom soon.
That said, pleasing a Peperomia isn’t an easy task, considering how it’s quite sensitive to its environment and can wilt pretty quickly if one thing’s off.
So, in case you want your Peperomia to flower, you’ll do well to keep our following tips in mind.
This section will cover the few and most important reminders you should be aware of when taking care of Peperomia varieties.
1 – Avoid Direct Sunlight
A golden rule with any perennial species is to avoid placing them in intense, direct sunlight, mainly because their leaves can’t handle such extreme heat.
Since we don’t want your gorgeous Peperomia leaves to burn, you should try to keep it somewhere that gets a lot of indirect sunshine.
For us, that means storing the Peperomia near a window where the plant can soak up enough early morning and late afternoon sun.
You can also choose to put up a thin, protective veil in case you can’t keep the sun away from your Peperomia.
Remember, when you notice the leaves drooping or discoloring, then consider immediately moving the plant someplace else.
2 – Keep the Temperature Tropical
With a tropical or sub-tropical plant, it’s always recommended to try and closely imitate the conditions of their native habitat in your home.
For a Peperomia plant, that means keeping the temperatures at a warm level. Ideally, the average indoor temperature should range between 65℉ to 75℉ (18℃ to 24℃).
Keep in mind that every Peperomia variety won’t ever handle freezing conditions. At most, they can survive at temperatures as low as 55℉ or 57℉ (12℃ to 13℃), but not any further.
As for the humidity, make sure that their surrounding environment is relatively steamy and wet, especially during the summer season when they do most of their growing.
Pebble trays and humidifiers are great options to invest in. Just remember not to place your Peperomia near cooling or heating systems, or subject them to chilly drafts as it’ll wilt their leaves.
3 – Choose an Acidic Soil
Soil plays a huge role in the overall growth and wellness of your Peperomia. If you don’t choose one that best suits the plant’s needs, you risk curling the leaves and dehydrating the Peperomia.
Generally speaking, Peperomia species aren’t too picky with their soil. That said, they’ve proven to thrive better in loamy, well-aerated, acidic soil, with a pH that ranges from 6 to 7.
Proper drainage is another vital quality that Peperomia’s soil should have. Since these plants don’t like to sit in water for long, their soil should help them get rid of any excess water.
In other words, Peperomia varieties can grow successfully in dish gardens, pots with multiple holes, and hanging baskets.
Alternatively, you could use a simple, store-bought potting mix if you wish. Provided, of course, that you enrich it with peat moss, vermiculite, or orchid-based mulch.
4 – Refrain from Overwatering the Plant
Tropical plants naturally dislike receiving a lot of water. With them, less is more; because excessive amounts of water directly lead to root rot, fungal infections, and more.
A rule of thumb to follow when watering your Peperomia is to let the soil dry out every now and again. It does your plant good when you let it portion the water to its preference.
Just make sure that the air around the plant isn’t what’s drying the soil out. That’s because this affects the leaves as well, causing them to droop and lose their vibrant green color.
So, with the above in mind, consider watering your Peperomia once every week. If it comes time to water it and you notice the top half inch of the soil is still soggy, skip that week’s watering session.
Since Peperomia’s are naturally built to withstand dry soils rather than wet ones, your plant won’t mind. Additionally, only mist the leaves when it’s hot out and during the winter months.
5 – Infrequent Fertilizing Is Best
Much like water, Peperomia doesn’t require frequent fertilizing. In fact, Peperomia species don’t need to be fed that often.
The reality is, that overfeeding your Peperomia toxifies the soil and creates an imbalance in the nutrients’ levels. In turn, this causes instant health problems for your plant.
As the Peperomia family members are classified as slow-growing plants, they can actually withstand lasting an entire year without the help of supplemental fertilizers, yard mulch, or soil debris.
Simply put, you just need to add fertilizer to a Peperomia’s soil once every other month. Make sure that you’re using a well-balanced fertilizer that contains equal amounts of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium (NPK for short).
The ratio of the aforementioned nutrients should be around 10% each. Paired with mildly acidic soil, your Peperomia will be better able to absorb the elements needed for its growth.
How Do You Prune Peperomia Flowers?
On the other hand, in case you decide that your Peperomia flowers are a sore sight, below we’ll teach you how to safely prune them.
First, however, you should know that the lifespan of these spikes is already quite short. They only stay around for a few months (at most half a year) before they wilt and fall off on their own.
In other words, you can wait them out. If you still want to remove them though, know that there’s no harm done to your Peperomia either way.
Before you remove the flowers, start by disinfecting your garden shears. Let them soak in an undiluted disinfectant cleaner for five minutes or so. This helps kill hidden bacterial or viral pathogens.
Afterward, rinse the solution off and wipe the tool clean. While pruning the Peperomia, remember not to cut off any leafy stems or vital parts.
Stick to cutting near the inflorescence clusters and no further. If one is hard to reach with shears, try using disinfected gardening scissors instead.
Final Thoughts
Do Peperomia flower? Yes, but only if you’ve been taking great care of it!
A Peperomia’s flowers resemble rat tails and can be either brown or green. They’re usually odorless and harmless. Since it’s not the most visually appealing bloom, most Peperomia owners choose to prune them off so as not to offset the beauty of the plant’s round leaves.
Alternatively, though, a blooming Peperomia is a sign that you’re treating your household plant well, so maybe keep those spikes as a reminder of that!
Growing up with a mom who filled her home (inside and out) with all sorts of plants, Lisa got her start in gardening at a young age. Living now on her own with a home and yard full of plants (including an indoor greenhouse), she shares all the gardening tips she’s gained over the years.